Hosiery



HOSIERY 1 lll! ||||||I/ Aj M. HAHN IFiled Oct. 24

May 28, 1929.

W/TWESS." M w.

Patented May 28, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALFRED M HALEN, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR T0 ARTCRAFT SILK HOSIERY MILLS, INC., OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, 'A CORPORA- TION OF DELAWARE.

HOSIERY.

Application led October 24, 1927. Serial No. 228,215.

My invention relates to an improvement in hosiery and more particularly to full-fashioned hosiery.

Heretofore in the manufacture of hosiery, and especially of full-fashioned hosiery, it has been customary to knit the leg and heel portions of the hosiery, the heel portion being reinforced, on a legger and then transfer' and complete the foot portion,.a portion of which is reinforced, with a footer. In the process of knitting the leg portion, which is usually formed with one thread, the heel portion, which is usually reinforced with an extra thread, and the foot portion, which is usually formed partly with one thread and partly reinforced with an extra thread, are

' joined together at two points one on each side of the stocking. Hosiery -so produced presents a point of weakness where the heel, leg and foot portions are joined together. since the structure is such that a single thread of the leg portion is joined to the reinforced heel and foot portions, which, since they are composed of a plurality of threads. will not give under or distribute a strain sufficient to break the single thread, with the result that a strain which the leg portion as a whole will withstand, will cause the thread at the point of juncture .of the heel, foot and leg to break. Further, inthe hosiery so produced the leg portion is usually turned in the corner formed between the heel and the reinforced portion of the foot and in which the leg portion is joined to the heel and foot, which causes strain arising across the instep to be concentrated on the point of juncture.

The breaking of the singlelhread at the point of juncture of the leg, heel and foot portions is more usual in light weight stockings, as chiffon, and. as will be appreciated, effectively destroys the stocking, producing, as it do'es, a run. Y

Now, it is the object of my invention to provide hosiery so constructed as to prevent rupture .at the points of juncture ofthe leg, heel and foot portions thereof.

Having now indicated, in a general way, the nature and purpose of my invention, I will proceed to a description of a preferred embodiment thereof with reference to the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side view, partly broken away,

\ of a stocking embodying my invention.`

with one thread an'd having a portion c ref inforccd with` an extra thread. The foot portion o is formed by a continuation of the front portion of the leg a, from, for example, the line w, Figures l and 2, while the reinforced foot portion c is knitted on from the heel Z). The reinforced heel b, the reinforced foot portion c and the leg portion are joined together at points d on opposite sides of the stocking and at the points of juncture I provide a reinforced section e formed partly in the leg portion and partly in the foot portion c, and which may be produced by introducing an extra thread into the leg portion a and foot portion c.

ing my invention, the stocking is preferably V knitted on a fiat legger, the leg and heel portions being knitted as usual andl the extra thread being introduced into the heel in any well known way, except that the extra thread of the heel is carried into the leg to form part of the reinforced section e. The leg and heel portions are then transferred to a footer, which knits the foot portion, the extra thread being introduced into the reinforced portion c of the foot in any well known manner, except that the extra thread is carried into the foot portion c to complete the reinforced section e. When the knitting of the stocking is completed, it is seamed up as usual.

In Figures l and 2 I have illustrated the reinforced section e as stepped, but it will be understood that the reinforced section e may be readily formed in any shape, as triangular, or curved, as shown in Figure 3, at e, or it may be of any other shape, as square, or oblong and may, or may not be provided with the point of juncture of the heel, foot and leg is avoided, since the reinforced section e distributes any strain tending to concentrate at the point of juncture over a substantial area weight are joined over a substantial area rather than at a point, the leg being joined to the reinforced portion of the foot and to the reinforced heel through a reinforced section of'equal weight with the heel and rein.- forced portion of the foot.

Having now fully descrioed my invention, what I Claimv and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. A vstocking comprising a legportion knitted with a single thread, a heel portion knitted with a plurality of threads, Vand a foot portion having the upper part knitted with a single thread and the lower part knitted with aplurality of threads, the leg portion, the parts of the foot portion and the'A 'heel portlon meeting at points on opposite sides of the stocking, the lowerpart of the foot portion and theheel portion having eX- tensions at each of these points'forming areas knitted with a plurality of threads, each area tapering from the upper and front edges ofl the lower part of the foot portion and the heel portionrespectively towards a point along the junction of the leg and upper part 4 of the foot portion. and the'parts of the stocking of differext 2. A stocking comprising a leg portion knitted with a single thread, a heel portion knitted with a plu'rality of threads, anda -foot portion having the 'upper part knitted with a single thread and the lower part knitted with a plurality of threads, the leg portion, the parts of the foot portion and the heel portion'meeting at points on opposite sides of the stocking, the lower part of the foot portion and the heel portion having extensions at each of these points forming areas knitted with a plurality of threads, each area extending at an angle to the wales from thel upper and front edges of the lower part of the foot portion and the heel portion a short distance along the junction of the leg and upper part of the foot portion, and inoluding the corresponding meeting point ofthe leg, foot, and heel portions.

In testimony of which invention,'l have hereunto set my hand, at Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on this 8th day of J une, 1927.

ALFRED M. HAHN. 

